A Real Life Marketing Example That Rocks!!

When you start working in marketing, a weird thing happens to you. I’ve started to look at brands and their online presence the way I analyze my own clients. A magazine ad is no longer just a pretty distraction. I’m examining it to see what the intention is and where the company is driving the reader to, etc etc. That being said, I wanted to take a look at a particular marketing campaign that has caught my attention in the past couple of months: the marketing for AC/DC’s new album Black Ice and their world tour that kicks off in Wilkes-Barre next week (as my entire department collectively groans & rolls their eyes).

Yes, I am an AC/DC fangirl. But beyond that, I really have to admire the way they’ve gone full force and immersed themselves into email, SEO & social media. AC/DC has been making music since the 70’s, and their fan base crosses several generations. They (or their marketing team, most likely!) were wise to recognize that younger generations are ready to rock and that sites like Myspace, Facebook and Twitter were the way to reach them.

Even better, they’ve been doing LOADS of contests to get more fans on these sites. Most users who interact with them through one of these services found out that they could be entered in a chance to win tickets to a private dress rehearsal before the final show if they pre-ordered the album. There have been AC/DC video contests on You Tube, where fans can re-enact their favorite videos and put their own spin on the songs. They’re also doing a caravan contest using Ning.com where fans can join up in teams and drive to the show together. They’ll be filming their experiences and compiling the footage afterwards. Even better (for me at least, hahaha! I’ll see you at the dress rehearsal! ) was a Street Team contest that let fans promote the album with tracked links and banners.

I love that they’re willing to give all these outlets a try. And if they’re honest with themselves, I think they’ll realize that some avenues worked better than others. But that’s ok! Social Media is new and it’s very fluid; the rules are still being defined. It’s all traffic and exposure, and I think AC/DC fans are feeling the love. Everyone I’ve talked with loves that they can find the band on their favorite social network, or directly through their website. Remember, it pays to actively reach out and interact with your audience, and even more importantly, it pays to test test TEST. A cross-country arena tour doesn’t sell out overnight all by itself, now does it?

There’s only one thing they’re missing: PPC! Some pay per click would compliment their other efforts and help reinforce their brand reputation in search results. So how about it AC/DC? I think I know some marketers who are up to the challenge!